Lou Vest is a retired Houston Ship Channel Pilot who shares a story from the ship channel and a close call with another vessel. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories from Lou!
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My Maritime Story Scavenger Hunt
Never been on the sea? Don’t think you have a maritime story? Think again! Use this activity to introduce your students to the concept of “maritime”. Check out our Houston Ship Channel Module or Museum Day education resources and see how you can carry your student’s interests even further.


Sea Stories with Kevin Morley | Part 3
The Voyage Home Being at sea on a merchant ship is like what they say about flying – 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror. The routine of life at sea is highly regulated by the watch cycle and other duties The average voyage in those days was about 3 months, and one quickly falls into…


Sea Stories with Kevin Morley | Part 1
Oh Captain, My Captain In the spring of 1974, after a year and a half at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (known as Kings Point to most), it was time to embark on the school’s real-world curriculum of spending a year at sea on various U.S. flag merchant ships. I was 19 years old. On…


Sea Stories with Kevin Morley | Part 2
The Straights of Gibraltar and Into the Mediterranean It was 2 o’clock in the morning and the sound-powered telephone next to my bunk – a truly obnoxious machine – started jangling like a demented alarm clock. Sound asleep after coming off watch at midnight, I was in no mood to be polite but didn’t get…